is there an alcohol support thread here?

[MuchLessTiredNow]

can anyone link me - can't find it!

I'd like to cut down on my alcohol intake too. Again it is wine with me, if there isn't any red wine in the house then I won't drink despite there being other alcohol e.g. gin, vodka etc in the house. It's weird, I actually dislike feeling drunk so can stop after 2 or 3 glasses without a problem. It's the 'unwinding' feeling after a stressful day that's got me into this bad habit. Although I try to have at least 1-2 evenings a week alcohol-free I can still manage to drink up to 3 bottles of wine a week, every week. I'd like to get this down to one or none a week! Has anyone read the 'Drink Less Mind' by Georgia Foster? It was mentioned in a newspaper article recently and seemed to be relevant for people who use alcohol to relax or destress but want to break the habit.

Meant to add that I'm hoping not to drink tonight or tomorrow night this week and hopefully Friday night off it too. I'm out on saturday night so will likely have a few. I didn't drink on Monday and had half a bottle of red wine last night.

I can't believe it...because off a flu bug that I have had twice and a chest infection(on antibiotics) I have managed 17 days with no alcohol!
I have been cutting down since last January as I was drinking 3/4 bottle of red wine every night after the birth of my DD so for nearly two yrs!! Just got in a very unhealthy habit.

So I cut down...3 nights off a week. Just 2 glasses when I did drink not 4. Had the odd slip up but had a couple of 7 day breaks from it too.

Noticed it creaping up again abit before xmas...then got this flu thing and I still can't believe I've done 17 days!!

Finish antibiotics today and feeling a lot better...will be interested to see if I fancy a drink? I have started thinking mmm I fancy a glass, but then could be bothered.

I'm sure the habit starts when you have kids? Life is so hectic...it feels so rewarding to sit down with a glass of wine when they have gone to bed and your day is nearly done!

Let's keep at it.
I'm not giving up completly, I just want to really keep an eye on what I'm drinking and why.

I think I have got better at controlling my drinking since I had kids I think I have had so much other crap which would kill me first that the alcohol got a bit left behind. I am wondering if I can do it on my own or if there is something more ominous going on.

I don't get drunk nearly as often as I used to, and I generally feel safe around alcohol apart from sometimes, usually to do with my family, when I use it to escape since I cannot physically get anywhere.

this is a v encouraging: MN at its best. Well done beinghonest. I have to confess last night I went out for a night out with the girls and got stuck next to the one no-one else wanted to be with - nowhere to move to, so I drank more than I had promised myself out of sheer boredom, and am v cross with myself today as I have a hangover. I don't understand myself when I feel so great when I haven't drunk that I can let myself down so easily. Ho hum - dh is out tonight, so I know I won't drink as he will be, and one of us has to be on child duty!

Arrgghhhh! It is so difficult to keep to a resolution.

Tonight dp came home from work and said "I've booked a table for dinner at [local restaurant]". He knew I was busy doing my business accounts and wouldn't have had time to prepare dinner. What a lovely man!

Restaurant is 15 minute walk, and it was a dry evening (the weather!) so we didn't take the car.

G&T and a shared bottle of wine. Nothing spectacular, but not what I was aiming for this week.

Will do better tomorrow.

Don't worry, being honest! The same thing happened here. Last minute arrangement for relatives coming to dinner and I ended up having 2 small glasses of wine. What annoys me is that if I was sticking to the recommended unit guidelines on a regular basis then these few impromptu drinks wouldn't be a big deal at all. So far this week I have had just under a bottle of wine so probably 8 to 9 units in total. I'm hoping to stay off the wine until Saturday when we are out for dinner and will probably drink around half a bottle of wine and maybe 1 or 2 G&T's. If I don't drink on Sunday then I will be very pleased with myself as I will have stuck to approx weekly units of 14 for the first time in aaaaaages!

How's everyone else getting on?

decided to have a drink last night after finishing antibiotics and haven't drunk for 17 days!
It did nothing for me at all...no fluffy feeling...nothing. I only had 2 very small glasses...then went onto a cup of tea!!!

There is something wrong with me...I always like my red wine. 17 days off has obviously done something.
I know it's good but it's strange. perhaps I'm not stressed or using it as a stress release so it's not the same effect??

Well today I had a bit of a hangover - a bottle of wine and a couple of beers... Oh dear, that's all my units all at once, and still the weekend ahead. It was our wedding anniversary (which may well be a pathetic excuse), but it did feel nice!

Tonight (Thursday) I am back on track. I am in the middle of running a 2 day training course so I was up early, back late-ish and had a busy evening preparing stuff for tomorrow. Keeping my hands occupied is good.

I also know that I will be better at my job tomorrow with a completely fresh head.

I didn't drink last night, didn't miss it that much (just had a hot chocolate during Masterchef rather that the glass of wine!). Will be more difficult tonight as it's the weekend but will do my best

I'm so proud of you all - you are inspiring - I am afraid I am the metaphorical thickie in the class this week - have had 3 alcohol free days this week, which is really good for me, and made sure I kept busy too - the hands thing is so true. But have had a bottle a night the other 4, so again, not where I wanted to be. But at least I stopped then. Am going to take all the bottles to the bottle bank tomorrow, and have a clean start. have also promised my ECDL tutor I will take an exam on wed, so will have to work hard for the next 4 nights - and know from experience I hate studying unless I am sober - so maybe that will help.

I don't feel very well and I'm very tired. I'm hoping it's just the crappy virus dd has been down with. Anyway a friend is coming here for supper tonight and I could really happily do without any booze. A bath and an early night would be nice, but neither of those is immediately possible and we don't have a bath. Bugger.

I'm trying to stay off alcohol Mon - Thurs but only lasted until Wednesday this week.

oh, Bla!!! poor you

I have spent the entire day in bed sort of listening to the radio. I had FAR too much to drink last night and I was smoking loads too. I will be smoke-free again in a few months, but it all feels very out of control. I think it is the booze/fags combo. It's horrible feeling so tired. Hope it's just a bug. Last time it was colitis.

Had a great night out last night, probably should have had a bit less wine but too late now!

Have worked out my units this week as 26 from Monday. This is slightly better than my usual 30 to 35 but I would have liked to have done better. So this week I'm on a mission to get my units total below 20, let the challenge begin....

Bla, hope you feel better soon

I have done crappily so haven't posted. Glad to see thread in active convos as a prick to my conscience. It's my birhday today so weekend has been pretty drink heavy too.

Really am going to make concerted effort tomorrow night - I get thirsty though so will make sure I have some sparkling mineral water in fridge.

Onwards and upwards!

This weekend has been really hard and have been desparate to open a bottle. I think the only thing stopping me is the fact that so many people know I am having an alcohol free month and keep asking me how I'm getting on. Can't believe I haven't lost a pound in weight which is not a great incentive. I am finding this incredibly boring which is a shame as I wanted to be able to draw on the great feelings of not drinking when I am tempted to drink too much.
Bla - hope you are feeling much better today. Georgimama you are entitled to have a few on your birthday good luck with tomorrow. I find camomile tea has really helped in the evenings. Hi to everyone and hope this week is a good one!
XX

You are doing tremendously well, Flowertop! Can you be a bit more specific about what you find so dull about being sober all the time? I find that when I am not hammering alcohol I don't miss it much. I get a momentary idea that it would be nice to feel that warm fuzzy feeling, but that passes.

I'm having a crap time trying to reconcile my life and am having times of such horrific rage at how my life has been, and how I have been used as a dustbin for other peoples' bad stuff. It makes me very angry and sad that my father still parades about, being the great giver and fount of all kindness, then still, given the opportunity will beat up his wife and children, even though we are all well over 30.

I am mad that I go and beat myself up with alcohol for things that are categorically not my fault. Sometimes I don't know where to start and it is very difficult to know how to move on from being at best not wanted.

Both my siblings go from the same premise that they are not wanted and not important enough to warrant respect. It's very ugly, and so sad that one man can create such a miserably dysfunctional family. Sorry for the rant. I hope I can work this through and feel better.

I think that we spend a lot of time trying to protect ourselves from these bad things with food and alcohol and anything else, and it's very hard to understand how the people who are supposed to protect and look after you try and keep on trying to get rid of you.

BladeBla, your father actually hits you?

Does your husband know? What does he think of it?

Why do you still see him? I think sometimes you have to decide whether people are something that you actually need in your life. My father never hit me but after an incredibly difficult divorce from my mother and his noxious behaviour towards me afterwards, I haven't spoken to or seen him for fifteen years. I just don't need him in my life.

Well done for making that break, georgimama. My father has not actually hit me for a long time, but last year threatened to twice. My dh thinks he's completely mad and has seen his behaviour.

Sadly my parents are still married and these days my mother is succumbing to the effects of Alzeimers, which has made her increasingly dependent on him. It is very sad to be unable to see or be with my mother. She is becoming like the living dead only more so because of the overbearing nature of my father.

I do not see the brother who married a paranoid nutter who he fights with.

I would love to at least be able to say goodbye to my mother properly.

Sorry, I am so sad and so angry about the whole situation.

I'm so sorry. Can nothing be done to get your mother away from him - a home?

He sounds horrific. I would call the police if he threatens you again, I really really would. Just because he is old is no excuse.

Bla - don't know what I find boring really. Think alcohol has played such a big thing in my life for so long that don't know what I should do without it. I think the abstinence has just made me realise that everything in my life is celebrated or commiserated (sp?) by the use of alcohol. Not having this crutch seems to bring all sorts of emotions to the forefront where before I would just have another drink.
You sound like you have come through some shit. It's amazing what some people have to cope with while others just dance through life. Have you had any counselling to address your situation. Sometimes we have to reject these toxic people from our lives. I really feel for you.
Keep posting how you feel if it helps. MN are great therapists I have found.